LAKES IN INDIA (STATE-WISE)
A surface water body surrounded by land is a lake. Lakes can be fresh water lakes, saline (salt) water lakes, natural lakes, artificial lakes, oxbow lakes (formed by river deposits), crater lakes (formed due to volcanic activities). They are found in hilly areas, plains, plateaus, rift zones etc. Lakes in India provide the great source of irrigation, drinking water, navigation and livelihood. Karnataka is the state with highest number of lakes.
Wular Lake, Jammu and Kashmir
Some important facts of lakes are-
Largest Freshwater Lake- Wular Lake, Jammu and Kashmir
Largest Saline water Lake- Chilka Lake, Orissa
Highest Lake (Altitude)- Cholamu Lake, Sikkim
Longest Lake- Vembanad Lake,Kerala
Most Important Lakes in India
| State | Lake name | District | Type Of Lake | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | Kolleru Lake | Vijayawada | Fresh Water | Home for Migratory birds |
| Pulicat Lake | Sullurpet | Brackish Water | Encompasses Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary. The barrier island of Sriharikota separates the lagoon from Bay of Bengal and is home for Satish Dhawan Space Centre. | |
| Nagarjuna Sagar | Guntur in Andhra Pradesh and Nalgonda in Telangana | Fresh Water | Artificially constructed over Krishna River; it straddles the border between Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh and Nalgonda in Telangana. | |
| Assam | Chandubi Lake | Kamrup | Fresh Water | Formed on 12 June,1897 due to earthquake.Lake attracts migratory birds in the season of winter. |
| Deepor Beel | Kamrup | Fresh Water | Called wetland under Ramsar Convention in November 2002. | |
| Haflong Lake | Silchar | Fresh Water | High altitude lake. | |
| Son Beel | Karimganj | Fresh Water (Tectonically formed) | Largest wetland in India and 2 nd largest in Asia. | |
| Bihar | Kanwar Lake | Begusarai | Oxbow (Fresh water) | Asia,s largest freshwater oxbow lake; home to about 60 migratory birds comes from Central Asia in winter and 106 species of resident birds. |
| Gujarat | Hamirsar Lake | Kutch | Artificial Lake | Situated in centre of Bhuj, Mid lake island (in centre of lake) earlier known as Green Island, now renamed as Rajendra Park. |
| Kankaria Lake | Ahemdabad | Artificial Lake | Construction started by Sultan MUizz-ud-Din Muhammad Shah II in 15 th Century and completed by Sultan Qutb-ud-Din Ahmad Shah II in 1451. | |
| Narayan Sarovar | Kutch | Artificial Freshwater | Pilgrimage place for Hindus | |
| Thol Lake | Mehsana | Lentic Lake (relatively still water lake) | Constructed for irrigation purpose in 1912. Declared as bird sanctuary in 1988. | |
| Vastrapur | Ahemdabad | Fresh water | Water comes from Narmada river; Picnic spot; lake almost dried up in 2016. | |
| Haryana | Badkal Lake | Faridabad | Fresh water | Lake was built after independence in 1947 to provide water services to nearby farms. |
| Blue Bird Lake | Hisar | Fresh water | Resident and endangered migratory bird’s wetland habitat. | |
| Brahma Sarovar | Thaneswar | Fresh water | Ancient Water pool sacred to Hinduism. | |
| Damdama Lake | Sohna | Fresh water | Constructed by British govt. for rainwater harvesting. | |
| Karna Lake | Karnal | Fresh water | Connected to great epic Mahabharat | |
| Tilyar Lake | Rohtak | Fresh water (canal inflow) | Located inside Tilyar zoo. | |
| Himachal Pradesh | Chandra Taal | Lahul and Spiti | Sweet water Lake | Called Chandertal Wetland under Ramsar Wetland in 2005. |
| Maharana Pratap Sagar | Kangra | Freshwater | Ramsar Site | |
| Prashar Lake | Mandi | Holomitic (Freshwater) | It has floating island. | |
| Suraj Taal | Lahul and Spiti | Freshwater (High Altitude) | Sacred body of water means lake of the Sun God. | |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Dal Lake | Srinagar | Warm monomitic | Known as “Lake of Flowers” or “Jewel in crown of Kashmir”; Remants of past glacial period. |
| (Union Territory) | Wular Lake | Bandipora | Tectonic lake (fresh water) | Largest freshwater lake in India; formed due to tectonic activity and fed by Jhelum river. |
| Karnataka | Agata Lake | Bangalore | Freshwater | Located in southwest part of the city. |
| Bellandur Lake | Bangalore | Freshwater | Largest lake in the city. | |
| Honnamana Kere (Honnama Lake) | Kodagu | Freshwater | Holy lake | |
| Karanji Lake | Mysore | - | Surrounded by a nature park consisting of butterfly park and walk-through aviary. This is biggest walk-through aviary in India. | |
| Kukarahalli Lake | Mysore | Freshwater | Was once a big attraction for bird watchers. About 176 species of birds including migratory birds and birds from Siberia visits the lake during winters. | |
| Pampa Sarovar | Hampi | Freshwater | One of the five sacred sarovars; to the south of Tungabhadra River. | |
| Ulsoor Lake | Bangalore | Stale water | Have several islands | |
| Kerala | Ashtamudi Kayal | Kollam | Brackish Water | Large palm-shaped water body; ramsar wetland site. |
| Kuttanad Lake | Alappuzha, Kottayam | - | Known for paddy cultivation and geographical peculiarities. | |
| Vembanad Lake | - | Brackish water | Longest Lake in India; second largest Ramsar site in India. | |
| Shashtamkotta Lake | Kollam | Freshwater | Largest freshwater lake in Kerala ; wetland under Ramsar Conevntion Site | |
| Ladakh (Union Territory) | Pangong Tso | - | Endoheric Lake (Fresh water) | Extends from India to Tibetan Autonomous Region,China. Approx. 60% length lies in China. |
| Tso Moriri | - | Brackish water | Located on Changthang Plateau. Under Ramsar Wetland. | |
| Madhya Pradesh | Bhojtal | Bhopal | Fresh water | Known as Upper Lake. |
| Maharashtra | Lonar Lake | Buldhana | Crater Lake | National Geo-heritage Monument. Created by asteroid collision with earth impact during the Pleistocene Epoch. |
| Salim Ali Lake | Aurangabad | Fresh water | Contains small bird Sanctuary and good for bird watching in winters. | |
| Shivsagar Lake | Satara | Fresh water | Formed after Koyna river impunded by Koyna dam. | |
| Manipur | Loktak Lake | Moirang | Lenticular Freshwater | Largest freshwater lake in Northeast India; famous for phumdis(floating islands). |
| Meghalaya | Umiam Lake | Shillong | Freshwater | Created by damming the Umiam river in 1960s. Famous for boating and cycling. |
| Mizoram | Tam Dil | Saitual | Freshwater | Also called as “Lake of the Mustard”. |
| Orissa | Chilika Lake | Puri | Brackish Water | India’s largest brackish water lake and second largest in world. |
| Kanjia Lake | Bhubaneswar | Freshwater | Has rich biodiversity and wetland of national importance. | |
| Punjab | Harike | Ferozepur | Freshwater | Largest wetland in northern India in border of Tarn Taran Sahib district and Ferozepur district. |
| Kanjli | Rupnagar | Freshwater | Ramsar Wetland site. | |
| Rupar | Kapurthala | Freshwater | Man-made riverine lake; Sutlej river inflows. | |
| Rajasthan | Rajsamand Lake | Rajsamand | Freshwater | Constructed by Rana Raj Singh in 1660. |
| Sambhar Lake | Sambhar Lake-town | Saltwater | India’s largest inland salt lake; surrounds the historical Sambhar Lake Town. | |
| Sikkim | Cholamu Lake | North Sikkim | - | Highest Lake in India and world in terms of altitude |
| Khecheoplari Lake | West Sikkim | Freshwater | Sacred lake for both Hindus and Buddhists. | |
| Tsomgo Lake | East Sikkim | Freshwater | Lake remains frozen during winters. | |
| Tamil Nadu | Chembarambakkam | Chennai | Artificial Lake | Adyar river originates from this lake. In 2019, it dried up. |
| Ooty Lake | Nilgris | Freshwater | Known as ooty boat house; major tourist attractions. | |
| Telangana | Badrakali Lake | Warangal | Artificial Freshwater Lake | Constructed by Ganpati Deva of Kakatiya Dynasty. |
| Hussain Sagar | Hyderabad | Artificial Lake | Heart-shaped lake; statue of Gautam Buddha erected in 1992 stands on Gibraltar Rock in middle of lake. | |
| Uttar Pradesh | Belasagar | Kulpahar | Freshwater | Source of irrigation in the area. |
| Govind Vallabh Pant Sagar | Sonbhadra | Artificial Lake | Also known as Rihand dam; largest dam of India by volume. | |
| Uttarakhand | Bhimtal | Nainital | Freshwater | Ancient place named after Bhima of Mahabharat; medium altitude lake. |
| West Bengal | East Calcutta wetlands | Calcutta | Brackish water | Under Ramsar wetland site. |
- Brackish water contains less than 3% salt. Whereas saline water contains more than 3% salt.
Some other lakes in India are-
| State | Lake Name |
|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | Cumbum |
| Kaniairi Lake | |
| Kondakarla Ava | |
| Assam | Chapnala Lake |
| Gaurisagar Lake | |
| Joysagar Lake | |
| Rudrasagar Lake | |
| Saron Beel | |
| Sivasagar Lake | |
| Bihar | Ghora Katora |
| Chandigarh (Union Territory) | Sukhna Lake |
| Gujarat | Gopi Talav |
| Nal Sarovar | |
| Sardar Sarovar Dam | |
| Saputara Lake | |
| Bortalav | |
| Dharoi Dam | |
| Damodar Kund | |
| Bindu Sarovar | |
| Gomti Lake | |
| Shakoor Lake | |
| Soor Sagar Lake | |
| Lakhota Lake | |
| Haryana | Sannihit Sarovar |
| Surajkund | |
| Himachal Pradesh | Brighu Lake |
| Chander Naun | |
| Dashair | |
| Dehnasar Lake | |
| Ghadhasaru Lake | |
| Govind Sagar Lake | |
| Kamrunag Lake | |
| Kareri Lake | |
| Lama Lake | |
| MAhakali Lake | |
| Manimahesh Lake | |
| Nako Lake | |
| Pong Dam Lake | |
| Rewalsar Lake | |
| Jammu and Kashmir (Union Territory) | Anchar Lake |
| Brari Nambal | |
| Gadsar Lake | |
| Gamgabal Lake | |
| Gil Sar | |
| Kausar Nag | |
| Khushal Sar | |
| Manasbal Lake | |
| Mansar Lake | |
| Marsar Lake | |
| Nandan Sar Lake | |
| Nundkol Lake | |
| Satsar Lake | |
| Sheshnag Lake | |
| Tarsar Lake | |
| Tulian Lake | |
| Vishansar Lake | |
| Nigeen Lake | |
| Ladakh | Tso Kar |
| Kyagar Tso | |
| Karnataka | Mamadapur Badshah Lake |
| Hebbal Lake | |
| Jaranganahalli Lake | |
| Lalbagh Lake | |
| Madiwala Lake | |
| Puttenahalli Lake(JP Nagar) | |
| Puttenahalli Lake(Yelahanka) | |
| Sarakki Lake | |
| Varthur Lake | |
| Yelahanka Lake | |
| Lingambudhi Lake | |
| Sulekere | |
| Kerala | Maanaanchira,Kozhikode |
| Padinijarechira,Thrissur city | |
| Paravur Kayal | |
| Vadakkechira, Thrissur city | |
| Vanchikulam, Thrissur | |
| Vellayani Lake | |
| Veli Lake | |
| Madhya Pradesh | Lower Lake |
| Tawa Reservoir | |
| Sagar Lake | |
| Maharashtra | Gorewada Lake |
| Khindsi Lake | |
| Pashan Lake | |
| Powai Lake | |
| Rankala Lake | |
| Talao Pali | |
| Tansa Lake | |
| Tusli Lake | |
| Upvan Lake | |
| Vaitarna Lake | |
| Venna Lake | |
| Vihar Lake | |
| Chatri Lake | |
| Mastani Lake | |
| Manipur | Pumlenpat |
| Ikop Pat | |
| Loukoipat | |
| Yaralpat | |
| Laphipat | |
| Shilempat | |
| Keisampat(Extinct) | |
| Porompat(Extinct) | |
| Zaimeng Lake | |
| Zeilad Lake | |
| Mizoram | Palak Dil |
| Odisha | Victoria Sagar Lake |
| Anshupa Lake | |
| Puducherry(UT) | Bahour Lake |
| Ousteri Lake | |
| Velrampet Lake | |
| Nallambal Lake | |
| Rajasthan | Balsamand Lake |
| Dhebar Lake | |
| Jal Mahal, Man Sagar Lake | |
| Kaylana Lake | |
| Loonkaransar | |
| Nakki Lake | |
| Pachpadra Lake | |
| Pushkar Lake | |
| Ramgarh Lake | |
| Talwara Lake | |
| Ummed Sagar Bandh | |
| Ana Sagar Lake | |
| Lake Foy Sagar | |
| Fateh Sagar Lake | |
| Pichola Lake | |
| Lake Badi | |
| Swaeoop Sagar Lake | |
| Udaisagar Lake | |
| Govardhan Sagar Lake | |
| Sikkim | Samiti Lake |
| Gurudongmar Lake | |
| Tamil Nadu | Adambakkam Lake |
| Berijram Lake | |
| Singanallur Lake | |
| Ukkadam Lake | |
| Kaliveli Lake | |
| Kodaikanal Lake | |
| Perumal Eri | |
| Red Hills Lake | |
| Sholavaram Lake | |
| Veeranam Lake | |
| Telangana | Durgam Cheruvu |
| Himayat Sagar | |
| Laknavaram Lake | |
| Mir Alam Tank | |
| Osman Sagar | |
| Pakhal Lake | |
| Saroornagar Lake | |
| Shamirpet Lake | |
| Waddepally Lake | |
| Ramappa Lake | |
| Gangaram Chruvu | |
| Ameenpur Lake | |
| Fox Sagar Lake | |
| Gandigudem Cheruvu | |
| Uttar Pradesh | Barua Sagar Tal |
| Keetham Lake | |
| Ramgarh Tal Lake | |
| Bakhira Tal Lake | |
| Sarsai Jheel Lake | |
| Moti Jheel | |
| Fulhar Lake | |
| Sheetal Jheel | |
| Surha Tal | |
| Uttarakhand | Skeleton Lake(Roopkund Lake) |
| West Bengal | Jore Pokhri |
| Mirik Lake | |
| Rabindra Sarovar | |
| Rasikbil | |
| Santragachhi Lake | |
| Senchal Lake |